Founded by Harshal Goel, The Trost is a New Delhi based startup that offers hemp-based products which help you get sound sleep and other health benefits.
When were you founded & What is the product/service you provide?
The Trost was launched in September 2020 but the Commercial launch was in September 2021.
The Trost is an Indian natural hemp-based manufacturing company.
The Trost is committed to bringing to its customers the benefits of full-spectrum, high-quality hemp extracts, using advanced extractions methods which are inspired by Swiss technology.
The ethically sourced, sun-grown hemp is refined using the finest state of the art technology and handled with utmost care. The Trost makes exclusive products with add on qualities like vegan-friendly, dairy-free, non-GMO, Organic and cruelty-free.
Trost is committed to catering to one’s special dietary needs, relieving pain and elevating energy levels.
Our philosophy of ancient science and modern values anchors the magic of healing with nature & the power of perfecting with technology.
Every ingredient is used in its finest, most beneficial form. We’ve got nothing to hide- Trust it, Trost it.
We are on a mission to open minds to fresh outlooks: From taboo to transparency. From weed to wellness. From hemp to healthy.
What is the company’s long and short-term vision? Where do you see your industry going in the next five years?
Our long term vision (5 yrs) is to come out with a range of products & cater to the B to B industry. Our Short term vision is to create awareness, health & medical benefits for consumers.
How did you get inspiration for the Company? How did you go about researching and validating the idea?
The journey & development of hemp rollens originates from Switzerland. Where I ended up being the world’s first cannabis rollens.
I worked extensively with a Swiss brand to launch the world’s first cannabis cig in Switzerland. We’d people talk about it from all over the world as the cig was a sensation.
With the medical properties & effects monitored in Europe, I wanted the Indian market to benefit from the same thus our endeavour to create India’s first cannabis rollens began.
Hemp has become acceptable across India. A lot of recipes are hemp friendly. The wider acceptance & awareness about the plant is helping more & more consumers open to it. Hemp has been recognized by FSSAI.
Export opportunities with more and more countries rolling out laws and being acceptable. Growing at the rate of 80 per cent. The rollens have been a key attraction point for ‘The Trost’ e currently have 2 variants earthy & woody.
A few new SKUs may be expected by the end of the year.
Is the company funded? If No, then are you open to funding?
We are currently bootstrapped & we looking for a pre-series A round in the next 2 months.
How does the product work & What problems does it solve?
We have 3 categories of cannabis product that we manufacture/ sell.
1. The hemp nutrition caters to anyone as young as 2 years as it contains high amounts of amino acids, omega 3 6 & 9. It is an OTC product and can be used for one’s daily nutrition needs.
2. CBD Oils – caters to a plethora of medical benefits. Some of them are – Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, chemo therapy side effects, stress anxiety, insomnia et al, CBD oils can be prescribed to anyone above the age of 2 years through an Ayurvedic doctor.
3. Rollens – The Trost Rollens cater to everyone above the age of 18 and is a healthy alternative to tobacco smoke also helps with a range of respiratory tract issues – dyspnoea, bronchitis, asthma et al.
What are your USP and innovation? How are you different from others?
While CBD oils and hemp-seeds and hearts-based products have been around in India for quite some time, hemp cigarettes are a relatively new concept. which is our USP – India’s first hemp cigarettes
Are good replacements for tobacco-based cigarettes and follow the principles of ‘Dhumyog’, an Ayurvedic formulation that combines five herbs including cannabis.
“Dhumyog refers to smoke therapy in Ayurveda.It is the most potent & fastest way to deliver the benefits of cannabis/hemp is by vapour inhalation. Our rollens not only help people combat their nicotine addictions, but also help deal with stress, sleep, and respiratory issues, like Asthma, bronchitis et al”
The rolling paper that the herbs are packed in, and their filter tips are imported from Poland and don’t produce any toxic gases when burned, making Trost’s hemp cigarettes a much better alternative to tobacco cigarettes.
What are some of your competitors & what advantage do you have over them? & Briefly explain your revenue model?
We don’t see any of them as competitors but as complementary industry value adders. The hemp industry is very new, at a nascent stage; our mission is to educate the Indian consumer on the great benefits of the ‘medical plant’
What difficulties did you encounter when you started the company & Were you impacted by the Covid outbreak?
The cannabis space in India is very difficult to enter, a lot of legal barriers to product development etc. Since the industry is in nascent stages availability of resources among the industry are difficult to source. Clinical trials were delayed because of the pandemic & there was difficulty in product development.
What are your future plans & launches?
We are looking at introducing a few more variants of the rollens & innovative products like first in the line in India like CBD gummies stay tuned for a few new SKUs to be expected to be out by end of the year.
Current company size, work culture, Hiring Funda
We are a team of 25-30 people; start-up work culture; Autonomous working; free hand to work.
Our Hiring funda is focusing on building a company that people want to work for is the most important requisite!
Also, Great employees are key to the growth of a startup; every new employee you add to your startup can move it forward dramatically, slow it down, or push it backwards. So one should be prepared to dedicate a lot of your time to everything associated with the hiring process.
We believe in hiring for quality rather than quantity, look for ‘T-shaped’ employees
How did you launch your company when you had just 0 users. Which channels/ tools/strategies worked the most for acquiring the first 100 users?
We started an e-commerce store; used Shopify; with our range of products first 100 customers were acquired on the first day itself; growth through social media and word of mouth strategy
A piece of advice for the readers.
Simple and precise communication goes a long way as a leadership and management skill.